


Rebuilding

by acesdesire



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Cute, Dorks in Love, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-17
Updated: 2017-12-17
Packaged: 2019-02-15 19:28:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,795
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13037844
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/acesdesire/pseuds/acesdesire
Summary: After escaping Zegnautus Keep, there are some things that Prompto needs to get off his chest. Noct is, of course, always there to lend an ear, and searches for any opportunity to make things right again.





	Rebuilding

**Author's Note:**

  * For [sweetrosei](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sweetrosei/gifts).



Noct wandered along the long bridge of Gralea, stepping slowly as he let himself relax in what felt like forever. Prompto was safe now; that put the majority of his worries to rest. He knew Ignis and Gladio were more than a little irritated for backtracking all this way when they were probably minutes from finding the Crystal, but Prompto had looked like he desperately needed a rest, and when it came to Noct's priorities... Well, Prompto pretty much always made the top of the list.

Noct had argued that if Ardyn planned to fight them, they might as well all be at the top of their game. Even Gladio couldn't disagree with that point, despite how much he wanted to. He instead resigned himself to helping poor Ignis navigate out of the maze-like Keep, and back along the street where they had left the Regalia in the wreckage. Eventually, they made it out of the destruction and back into civilization where they tried their best to blend. This was Niflheim territory, and there was no time for them to get caught.

Noctis eventually spotted his companion leaning against one of the railings overlooking the city. He looked drained, though the bruises on his face probably weren't helping his overall appearance. Swallowing the memories of finding Prompto tied up in the Keep, Noct headed forward, sliding gracefully in beside him and locking their fingers effortlessly as they rested on the railing. Prompto didn't look away from the city below, but smiled softly at Noct's presence.

"You always find me, don't you?"

"Always," Noct promised, and was happy to hear Prompto let out a sigh of relief. After everything they had been through, and all the ways Ardyn had tried to wedge a distance between them, Noct knew it would take a while to repair the damage and make Prompto feel safe again--safe with _him--_ but he wouldn't stop trying until he did.

Noct nestled in a little closer to Prompto's side and followed his gaze toward the city below, where he watched a mother hold and comfort her crying child. There was a look of longing in Prompto's eyes as he stared at them, and Noct got a sickening feeling in his stomach as he tried to figure out what had put it there.

"You want to talk about what you saw? When we were separated, I mean?"

Prompto fidgeted slightly at the question, finding it somehow unsettling to think about those days in the cold snow with Aranea, but he found the courage to answer anyway. He'd already confessed his origin to Noct and the others back in the facility; he might as well give Noct the rest of the story.

"While I was in Besithia's laboratory, I found a lot of documents on his experiments and MTs. I never had a proper family, Noct. I used to imagine I had one at some point, but I didn't." He paused, but Noctis was silent, allowing him to continue. "I was _created_. From Besithia and a bunch of stuff in some lab."

"That doesn't matter, okay? It doesn't change who you are," Noct assured him, squeezing his hand affectionately.

"Maybe not, but it does change how I've always thought of myself," Prompto went on. He dared a glance at Noct, who in turn looked back at him, eyes both curious and worried; they begged to understand. Prompto turned his attention back to the city, and continued to speak.

"When I was a kid, I used to wonder what my mother was like, and why she put me up for adoption. I thought maybe she didn't have enough money, that she thought I'd have a better life if I was brought up in Lucis. Sometimes I wondered if she even got rid of me because of this thing," he said, flexing his right wrist with the codeprint tattooed into it. "But as it turns out, I wasn't _sent_ out of Niflheim. I was _stolen_ from it. And as for a mother..." Prompto chuckled, softly, bitterly. "I never even had one to begin with."

"Prompto..." Noct murmured, leaning his head in close to his companion's. Prompto leaned back eagerly, appreciating whatever comfort his friend had to offer.

"It's no wonder I never felt loved. I never _was_."

Noctis' stomach turned again at the thought of the pudgy, young kid with glasses who always sat by himself in school. If he had known then just how alone Prompto had felt, he would have insisted they become friends much sooner.

"Well, you sure are loved now. I hope you know that," Noct said, tilting his head slightly to press a few kisses to Prompto's bruised cheek.

"I do know that," Prompto chuckled lightly as Noct's hair tickled his neck. "And you've definitely made up for a lot of what I was missing back then. Honest. It's just... finding out like this is still a lot to swallow."

"I know," Noct nodded, resuming his position with his head propped against Prompto's. "But hey, if you don't have a mother, it means that at least you can never lose her, right?"

Prompto glanced at Noct out of the corner of his eye and felt his heart go out to him. He knew that Noct had struggled with his mother's death, and understandably so. On top of losing her, the experience of the attack had been so traumatic for Noct, too. Prompto knew that, knew that what he was going through was nowhere near the same thing, and yet, he felt a lot of the same pain. He may not have lost a person, but he had lost an image of her, a dream. He was still _grieving_.

"Feels like I did," Prompto admitted with a flicker of a smile, but it was an identifiably sad one, even if he had tried to disguise it. Noct pulled back in time to see the look, and his eyes slanted in sorrow and deep concern. He unlaced his hand from Prompto's and wove his arm around his back instead.

"It's going to be okay," Noct promised, his voice low and sweet. He could feel Prompto's chin trembling against his jaw, but he simply held him closer, doing his best to make him feel safe and most importantly _loved_.

"I'm here," he whispered, and Prompto nodded against him. Perhaps the most tragic part of all was that neither of them knew for how long.

"Even things with you feel off, Noct. I feel like asking you questions that only my best friend would know the answer to, just so I'm sure it's really you. Not another of Ardyn's illusions."

Noct frowned and pulled his head back, making Prompto lift his own off his shoulder. His eyes were curious, with the smallest hints of fear, and Noct wasn't sure whether that was fear of rejection or fear of _him_. He wasn't particularly fond of either scenario, and felt the need to eliminate both possibilities.

"Two years ago, graduating year, you and I skipped school with our classmates for senior ditch day. You kept telling me you had a crush on that little blonde girl we met on the roller coaster, but I knew that wasn't true. I swear, to this day, you did it to make me jealous, and it worked. I ended up kissing you for the first time later that afternoon. That enough evidence for you?" Noct smiled, softly. Prompto blinked in surprise at the long string of proof his friend had spilled out. People often said that Noct was a man of few words; apparently that wasn't _always_ the case.

"Where did you kiss me?" Prompto asked, smiling ever so slightly now.

"In the stands. Top row. And..." Noct trailed off, raising a finger to Prompto's lips. "Right here," he whispered, making Prompto smile weakly. 

"You're such a dork," Prompto mumbled, though he did find it cute, the way Noct had given answers for either interpretation of his question.

"Yeah, _your_ dork," Noct smirked, letting his hand fall from Prompto's lip, and onto his hand, which sat on the railing. "That reminds me..."

" _Dork_ reminds you of somehting?" Prompto asked, having completely forgotten about the tears that had been on the verge of falling just moments ago. Noct often had that ability to make him forget--forget that he was lonely, forget that he was sad, forget that they were on completely different levels of social standing; of course, Prompto could make Noct forget about all those things, too.

"Yeah, your birthday present," Noct said, reaching down for the giant pocket on the side of his pants, and tugging it open.

"But my birthday was... I mean, it must have been while..."

"While we were separated?" Noct said, the inflection in his voice making it sound like a question, then he nodded. He wasn't about to let Prompto mention his painful experiences out in the snow, nor the torture Ardyn had put him through in the Keep.

"Doesn't mean it didn't happen. Besides, I picked this up long ago," Noct said, pulling a rolled-up magazine out of his pocket, and handing it over. Prompto took it precariously, with an uncertain glance at his friend, but his eyes lit up when he realized what it was, just as Noct had hoped he would.

"The photography magazine from the Assassin's Festival?! I thought you said we didn't have enough medallions for it!"

"Well, maybe I lied for the greater good," Noctis smirked, polishing his knuckles on his shirt.

"Aww, Noct. This is amazing," Prompto beamed, as he flipped through the first few pages of the book; they were quite curled, and would be stubborn to unfold after being rolled up for so long, but the magazine was in good shape considering everything Noct had been through in the past few weeks.

"And hey," Noct said, nudging Prom's shoulder with his fist, bringing the boy's eyes back to him.

"If you ever start to doubt what's real, just ask, okay? I won't be offended. After all, I... I fell for Ardyn's tricks, too," he went on, solemnly. His head was lowered slightly, but Prompto tilted it back up with a gentle finger. Eyes met, and Prompto smiled.

"Thank you, Noct. For everything." Noct hesitated, not quite sure that he deserved the amount of gratitude that his partner was giving him, but Prompto's smile didn't lie. He really did appreciate him--who he was, what he did, and how he cared, despite the mistakes he'd made.

"Thank you, too. For everything," Noct smiled. Their hands linked on the railing again as they turned back toward the city, gazing over the people with more contentment than sadness now, as small flakes of snow fell gently around them.

**Author's Note:**

> For the 2017 Promptis Winter Exchange! Dear sweetrosei, I hope you enjoyed this little piece! It was a pleasure writing for you :) Take care, and have a happy winter!


End file.
